Home is with you
by Eli DeVille
Summary: Alec and OC talk about max and Alec admits his feeling to Alec. Alec and Max talk about there feelings towards each other.
1. Admit it

I'm Home  
  
Author: Eli Linder Email: freakyg16@hotmail.com Status: Category: Drama/Romance Spoilers/Rumors: Season: 2 Rating: PG Content Warning: this story brings Max and Alec closer. Not Logan. Summary: Alec and OC talk about max and Alec admits his feeling to Alec. Alec and Max talk about there feelings towards each other. Author's Note: I'm a big M/A fan, and I love Dark Angel. I know the show ended like 2 or 3 years ago but I bought the DVD and I am still enjoying the show. This is my fifth fanfiction and my first story that isn't rated R or NC-17, so I hope you like it. Paring: Max/Alec Disclaimer: The characters of "Dark Angel" do not belong to me. So DO NOT sue me!  
  
Challenge #2  
  
Alec and Original Cindy have a deep conversation about Max Requirements: Max must be in the background for the majority of the story Alec must admit something significant to Cindy Cindy must give Alec a kiss on the forehead Must be a flashback on Alec's or Cindy's part  
  
Man I'm bored. There is absolutely nothing to do Alec thought as he sat down at his usual barstool at Crash. Where is everybody? I mean I know that Sketchy said that he had a date tonight, but where is OC and Max? Oh well.I'll just order one more scotch and then I'm goin' home. I can't believe that everyone at Terminal City was too busy, and even Josh was out. Two girls have come up to me tonight, and I must admit.they weren't good looking. If all else fails I can always just go home with them tonight.  
  
Original Cindy came walking up behind Alec saying, "Hey Baby Boo! Haven't seen you all day. Where you been?" Cindy had distracted Alec and actually made him jump when he snapped out of his train of thought.  
  
"Hey OC. Yeah I was really tired after work so I went home. Where is everybody?" "Well as I'm sure you know, Sketch has got a date.how I don't really want to know." "Oh.yeah.and?" Alec replied with a look that left OC knowing what he wanted to ask. "Max is over on the dance floor with an old friend."  
  
Alec searched through the crowd on the dance floor. When he finally found Max, he felt crushed to see she was slow dancing with a young guy. Max looked happy.the kind of happiness she had when Logan said something to make her smile or was just around. Alec's feelings didn't go unnoticed.  
  
"Hey Baby Boo.what's wrong?" OC asked with a concerned look. "Huh.oh, nothing. I just had to ask Max something but I." Alec suddenly paused. Max was walking over towards them with a big smile on her face.  
  
"Hey Alec. OC.I'm gonna leave with Nick. Don't wait up for me." She walked away just as fast as she came. Alec just sat there with a pitiful look on his face.  
  
"K boo! Have fun!" OC yelled to here with a playful smile. It was then, she noticed out of the corner of her eye, how Alec had reacted to Max's quick goodbye.  
  
"Come on boo." OC said as she grabbed a hold Alec's arm and began to head for the door.  
  
"OC where are we goin? I just so happen want to finish my drink." Alec said with a hint of anger in his voice.  
  
"We need to talk.and OC don't wanna strain to hear you over that loud music."  
  
When they got outside, Original Cindy let go of Alec's arm. She began to walk and when she got around the corner she stopped and leaned against the wall. Alec reluctantly followed her. They both just stood there starring at each other. "Well?" "Well, there's nothing to talk about OC." Alec had an irritated sound in his voice.  
  
"Chill out baby boo. OC knows something is goin' on wit you cuz you been acting really." Original paused and Alec knew that she was deciding what word best fit with the sentence and wouldn't make him mad. "Well.you actin like you jealous."  
  
"OC, I'm just tired and I just can't believe that Max blew us off like that, just so she could get in some guys pants."  
  
"She didn't blow us off. And what you got against Nick? He's nice, and OC talked to him. If OC didn't get so irritated by you men, OC would go for him too."  
  
"I don't have a problem wit her new guy.its just that I haven't talked to her all day. I mean she could have spared one night to be wit her friends. You know.just us?"  
  
"Yeah OC knows. OC knows that her boo worries too much. She can't live her life the way she wants because of that Bitch of a virus and worrin' bout all your people in TC. OC also knows that her boo needs this in her life right now."  
  
"Look, I know that it's my fault for the virus, but honestly-" "It's not your fault baby boo!" Original Cindy interrupted. "That's not what Max thinks. Remember that time I had that bomb thing in my head."  
  
"He's got a bomb in his Brain stem. It's clearly Manticore material." "So take it out." "Well.it's gonna cost you." "How much?" "$1000." Max hesitated. She looked at Alec and then looked back at the doctor. "This guys got like 2 minutes." " Do it." Max handed the Manticore doctor an envelope of money. He quickly looked through the package. "Good I can leave town tonight. "What about the job I asked you to do." "I can give you the papers and notes on what I found out about the virus so far. Maybe you can find someone else to do it. What's it gonna be.the guy or the virus? I can only do one." Once again Max just starred at absolutely nothing. Alec knew what she would say. He had just tried to kill her not even 10 minutes ago, and he had done a lot more that had messed up her life. Hell she hated his guts. Yeah he knew what she was gonna pick. "Do it." She replied. The doctor grabbed what appeared to be long pliers. He made a small slit in the back of Alec's head and pulled out the small bead like bomb. As soon as the doctor pulled it out and away from Alec's head, it blew up. It was a small pop sound that would have easily killed and caused Alec's brain to blow up on the inside of his skull. "All done, so I'm out of here. Pleasure doin' business with you." The doctor grabbed his belongs and ran out the door. Alec knew that this was a big deal to Max. He walked up to her. "Max I'll pay you back. I promise." Max turned away from him, facing Joshua. Alec got closer to Max, wanting to hug her and ask her why she would choose his life over her love life with Logan. As soon as he took two steps close to Max, Joshua started to growl at him. Once this happened Alec left, leaving Max there with Joshua. She's never gonna talk to me again. He thought.  
  
"Yeah baby boo, but she got over it. She and Logan barely ever talk anymore." OC said trying to make her friend feel better. "But something tells me that there's more to this."  
  
Alec just stared at the ground. OC knew that she was going to have some trouble getting this out of him. Alec was very headstrong and could hide his feelings from Max but some how; OC could always read him like a book.  
  
"I'm fine." "Boo.what's really going on? Max talks to me, and you know that if you tell me I won't tell her. I can read you like a book boo. When you're around Max I see the way you look at her when she's not looking. I see how you check her out when we play pool and when we're at work. So why don't you admit it to OC?"  
  
Alec glanced up at Original Cindy.  
  
"Then you know that Max doesn't feel the same about me.so I look like a retard." "No you don't.and just how do you know what Max feels?" "OC.she thinks of me as Ben. She thinks of me as her.brother. Nothing can come out of that.ever." Alec stated with a hint of disappointment. Alec slid down the wall till he was squatting against the wall. Cindy kneeled down next to him and kissed him his forehead. Alec looked at her shocked.  
  
"What was that for?" Alec asked Questioningly. "You looked like you needed it." OC smiled lightly at Alec before sitting completely on the ground in front of Alec. Alec never took his eyes off her. "Has Max ever talked to you about Ben? The secret stuff?"  
  
"A little. What secret stuff?" "Well.you can't tell her I told you." She warned. "I won't." Alec answered almost impulsively. "Well.Max talks about Ben a lot. She claims now that she can't really see his face unless she looks at you. She says that it scares her that you get yourself into so much trouble. That's why she's so hard on you. She worries that she'll lose you, too. I don't think she could take that. No matter how much she doesn't show it.it would devastate her."  
  
Alec stared at OC with wide eyes.  
  
"I personally think she loved him. Not love him like that brotherly love either. I mean she was in love with him. She talks about how he would tell her stories at night.and that there were some nights she couldn't sleep and he would stay up all night with her telling her stories and playing shadow puppets."  
  
"Playing what?" Alec asked confused. "You know.shadow puppets. It's when you use your fingers in front of a flashlight or something and make shapes. Like a dog." "Oh. So you think that Max was in love with her brother. Do you think she is in love with me?" "I've never asked, but it wouldn't hurt if you did." "Yeah it would. If I asked Max if she loved Ben.she would probably kick me in my balls till Sunday." "Maybe.and maybe she wouldn't. You'll never know unless you ask. OC thinks that she loves you but is too afraid to admit it to herself." "I know I.at least I think I.I.love her."  
  
OC and Alec both sat there. Neither staring at anything in particular. They sat there for a few minutes until OC stood up.  
  
"Well I guess you might as well go finish that drink."  
  
"Yeah. Hey do you think I could stay at your place tonight? I mean.I want to talk to Max." OC just smiled at him. "Sure baby boo." They both walked to the small apartment. It was 2 times bigger then Alec's apartment, but 2 times smaller than Logan's apartment. When they got there they talked for a few more hours till OC went to bed. Alec was lying on the couch watching TV when max came home. She walked into the living room, to turn off the TV. When she did. Alec protested and scared her.  
  
"Jeez Alec! What the hell are you doin here anyway? Does Cindy know you're here?" Max asked trying to calm down and slow her heart beat. "You nearly gave a heart attack." "Yeah she knows I'm here. We were talking and I decided.well actually she decided that I should talk to you." "About what?" Max had a puzzled look on her face. She sat down on the couch next to Alec. "Well.I was.how was your night?" Max gave him a look of confusion. Why does he want know she thought. "It was fun. I really like Nick. I haven't seen in a while so we did some catching up. Why?" "No reason. So what did you two do?" Now Max was glaring at Alec. "Why? Does it bother you that I was out with a good friend?" "No.I was just wondering.never mind Max. This is useless." Alec got up from the couch and began to head for the door. Max quickly followed him grabbing his arm, making him halt. "Alec what's going on?" "Nothing Max. I just." "You what?" she was now staring at him in the eyes. When she noticed he wasn't going to answer she started talking to kill the silence. "I was going back to crash tonight when I saw you and Cindy around the corner." She paused. He was now glaring at her. "I heard what you guys talked about. Do you really love me?" "Max.you got it all mixed up. I don't love you." He said in a defensive voice. "Well I do too." "You mean you don't either." "I know you love me. And I know you don't know that I love you. But I do." "What about your new boyfriend Nick?" Max laughed in his face. He frowned at her. "My boyfriend? You sound jealous pretty boy." She looked into his eyes and saw so much emotion in them. He was serious. Her smile faded and she also became serious. "He's not my boyfriend." "What did something happen that he left early leaving you to listen in our conversation?" "No. He was listening too." "Wait.so he left because of what I said?" "No! He left because I told him that we.as in you and me.needed to talk. He agreed so I'm seeing him Thursday. Then we're going out to eat." "He agreed? What does he think I'm your brother or something? I bet that's what you told him right?" Max just stared at Alec. He could see all the emotions flowing in her eyes now. He had somehow hurt her. "He knows you're not my brother. I had been avoiding you all night." She paused and walked over to the window. "I need Nick in my life. He helps keep my mind off this.stuff."  
  
Alec walked over to her. He didn't touch her. He just watched her. She slowly turned around taking his left hand in both her hands. She flipped his hand over examining both sides carefully. "He thinks you're Ben." Her words came out as near whisper. It if wasn't for his keen sense of hearing he would have never heard her. "So he thinks I'm Ben." "No. He thinks you're Alec, because that's what I told him your name was. Nick is.another one of my brothers. He was the second youngest. I was the youngest. You know.your hands are bigger than Ben's." Max was now staring out the window again and had let Alec's hand go. "I hate it when I.I see my brothers and sisters out here.free." "Why? You guys escaped and most of you died trying to escape. So why hate it?" Alec asked completely confused. "That's just it! Because some of us died trying to get out to this world.to be normal and free.in a world that doesn't want us! Because it just makes me realize that there is one more person that I know is alive when I persuaded myself they were dead! I hadn't seen them in so long. When I get around them.I get depressed and actually wish I was back at Manticore.so I would know they were all alive and safe. You know how much I hate Manticore, and wishing I were back there, is really bad. But out here.when there free.I can't tell if they're ok unless I run into them. But then I just lose them all over again. Like Zach, Jondy, Brin, Trinca .and Ben. Alec you're the only one that I have that's constant in my life. You haven't left me like everyone else has. You're still here, which is why if I lost you I would be.lost."  
  
Alec just stared at Max. She was still just staring out the window trying to avoid eye contact. Alec could tell that she was crying. He turned her around to face him and hugged her.  
  
"I'm never leaving you, Maxie. Never."  
  
They stood there hugging for what seemed like the hours. For the first time in a long time, Max felt like she was at home. Not the "home" like a place you live.but the home where you feel safe and secure. Where all your problems just melt away. She hadn't felt this way since.Ben. She hugged him tighter and said "I'm home."  
  
The End 


	2. the forgotten past

I'm home  
Chapter 2  
  
Alec and Max were standing by the window just hugging. Original Cindy smiled to herself and shut her door all the way and went to bed.  
  
"Wanna sit down?" Alec asked Max still holding her tight. "Yeah," she replied as another whisper.  
  
Alec sat down on the edge of the couch. Then he motioned for Max to rest her head on his lap. She did just that. She placed a pillow on his lap and curled up on the couch against Alec. Alec started to comb through her hair with his fingers. It was straight but getting curly. "Is your hair naturally curly?" he asked. "Yeah. I've been straightening it since Ben died." "Why?" Max laid her right hand on Alec's leg and laid her head on the other. Alec was playing with her hair in one hand and rubbing her back with the other. She sighed and then answered. "Ben.he use to say.he thought that I would look better with my hair curly. But he's dead. So I don't want.It just.I don't want to remember him I guess." "That I find hard to believe. What was up with you and Ben anyway? I mean, I know that he was your brother and that hurts to lose someone you love, but.it seems like there was more to it." Once again Max sighed. "That's just it." Alec wanted her to stop pausing and answer but he new this was a very vulnerable state that Max was in, so he knew he couldn't rush her. "Ben was my Best Friend. In fact he was my.first crush." Alec had a shocked look on his face. How could he be her crush if it was her brother, he thought. He even said it to her in a gentle voice. He wasn't rubbing her back anymore, but was rather using both his hands to play with her hair. " I thought you thought of Ben as your brother?" "Exactly. You thought that. I loved Ben. That's why it hurt so bad when I had to.stop him." "Can I ask you a personal question?" Max gently nodded her head to say yes. "What kind of stuff did he do that made you realize you loved him?" Max didn't move. In fact her eyes were closed. Alec guessed it her eyes were closed to keep her from crying. "Well.we would talk all the time. Because I have shark DNA, I can't always sleep. Ben would stay up with me. We would talk about everything. What we would do when we got out on the outside, what the good place would be like, how our days were.stuff like that. Also Ben would do shadow puppet shows for me. He even taught me how to do it too." "What's the Good Place?" Alec asked. "One of Ben's big stories was about the Good Place. Zack said he just made it up to make us feel better. Give us hope that the whole world and our entire lives wouldn't be like.Manticore. I told him to tell me the story when I killed him.to reassure me that he would go to the Good Place. Also I just wanted to hear that boy that I feel in love with all those years ago. I already miss him." There was long silence. Alec noticed that sometimes Max smiled when she told him about Ben. Then she shifted and turned to look in him in the eyes. "You know when I first met you, I thought you were Ben. Then you spoke and I saw your face." She sat up. She was still holding him with her eyes. Suddenly she reached up and gently touched his check. His eyes closed only for a second to take in the angel's touch. "I knew it wasn't Ben when you spoke and stepped into the light." Her hand was now at his neck. He opened his eyes. He watched her closely. Her eyes were on her own hands. He saw her swallow hard and then he felt her had slowly creep to the back of his neck. As soon as she touched the spot where his barcode was he shivered. That was his most sensitive spot. She began to rub his barcode gently. "Rubbing my barcode won't change my number to 453." "I know Alec." She continued to rub his barcode with the softest touch. He closed his eyes once again. She leaned so close to his face, that Alec actually thought that she had rested her head against his face. She moved until her lips were inches away from his ear. Then with the softest and most gentle voice she whispered into his ear, "I'm hoping it will change to Drew." With that she, let her words linger into is head. Alec bit his lip to keep from moaning from the feeling of her voice and hot breath against his ear. When she pulled away, he opened his eyes to see she was starring him in the eyes looking at him with an expression that said she knew something he didn't know. Or at least should. She got off the couch and walked into the kitchen. "I'm going to make some hot chocolate. You want some?" Alec nodded still in a daze. We walked over and leaned against one of the counters. He watched her make the hot chocolate thinking:  
My god. She's beautiful. I wonder who this Drew is and why she wants me to be him. I should probably ask, which is what she's probably waiting for, but I've asked a lot of questions so far. Maybe I should just let her speak freely. Suddenly Max asked him, "just ask." She didn't say this harsh or in her usual in a hurry voice. He broke his train of thought to see that she was standing I front of the stove looking at him. "What?" it was the only thing he could get out of his mouth. "I know that look, Alec. You have a question, but you're probably too afraid to ask, but I'm giving you permission to ask. So ask." "Who's Drew?" She smiled at him, that smile when she knew something that he probably should know. "No one." She stated. She turned back to the stove and started to pour their drinks. Alec had his look of pure frustration. He knew what she was doing. She was playing with his head. He went through his memories trying to think of whom this Drew was. She handed him the drink and smiled at him and walked back to the couch. He slowly made his way over. He sat down next to her, and took a sip. "Don't hurt yourself thinking too hard, pretty boy." She actually giggled when he gave her a look. "I wouldn't expect you too remember him anyway. He was one of my brothers. He was quiet. Never talked really. In fact, I don' really remember him ever speaking." She was watching him. He was still trying to remember. "He was weaker than all the rest of us. A lot weaker. But when you see him now.you would think he was the strongest. Whatever they did.they made him.perfect." She wasn't smiling but was once again starring at him. He looked over at her. Finally giving up on this guy. When their eyes met, it was like they both were entered into a trance. "One day he did really, really bad in his training. I couldn't sleep as usual and Ben was already asleep. I climbed into Drew's bed when the soldiers brought him back from where they took him for being really horrible in training." Max giggled once again, still staring him in the eye. "He looked so scared when I climbed in his bed. He must have been 6. I was like 4 or 5. I remember asking him if he was ok and telling him that he was still a good soldier. I remember telling him that one day HE would show Manticore that he was a great soldier. He never said a word. He must have been shy. Then I remember kissing him. He pulled away and his eyes were wide. But when I leaned in again he didn't pull away. I ended up pulling away and climbed out his bed and went back to mine. In the middle of the night, he woke me up and whispered in my ear. 'You're my home.' He went back to bed. The next day after training he didn't come back to the room and the officers were moving his bed out our room."  
  
Max broke the serious eye contact from him. "My first kiss was with a shy, weak, and special boy. We later found out that they got rid of him because he was too weak. Ben took it the hardest. He was close to Drew even though he didn't say it. He told us that he went to the Good Place."  
  
Max looked at Alec. He was giving her his puzzled look that made her weak in the knees. She leaned in to him and placed a gently kiss on his lips. When she pulled away, she replaced her hand to his neck, rubbing his barcode. With a near whisper she spoke again. "Yep. Same kiss." She pulled her hand away and took her and his glass and placed it in the sink. When she turned back towards the living room, Alec was standing in front of her. He leaned in placing his hands around her waist. He was starring into her eyes. "You.are my home." He said. She just smiled. "I was right. They made you into a perfect soldier.Drew." 


End file.
